Beyond the Horizon
by YouHadMeAtHelloxo
Summary: See what's going on in the lives of the 7th Heaven Characters. What twists and turns are waiting around every corner? Tons. A plot for everyone...a romantic one, one dramatic, a few very funny ones. Check it out! Please read and review! COMPLETE!
1. Meet and Greet

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Disclaimer over Beyond The Horizon: I don't own 7th Heaven, nor do I own anything pertaining to the WB Network.

Disclaimer over chapter one: I don't own Microsoft Word.

A/N: Honey, I'm home! Haha. I'm back again for yet another story. I hope that all of my dear readers that have been with me from my first story, The Gift, those of you who joined me along the way, and the readers who haven't read any of my other stories and are just joining me now, will all enjoy this new story as much as you have my others. Please review!

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Beyond The Horizon 

Chapter 1: Part 1: Introduction

**Sarah and Matt Camden** have twins, Chris and Michelle, who are 17 years old. Then, just a few years ago, they got some surprising news: Sarah was pregnant again! The surprise baby, Emily, is three. Both Sarah and Matt worked at Glen Oak hospital until Emily was born, when Sarah decided to stay home with their new child. She plans to go back to work when Emily starts school.

School: Chris and Michelle-Aurora High School-grade 12, Emily-half day preschool (9-noon)-Dusk Elementary School

**Mary and Carlos Rivera** don't have any children. They live in Buffalo, New York where they are both fire fighters.

**Lucy and Kevin Kinkirk** have 3 children: Claire, 15, Noah, 13, and Brooke, 11. Kevin is still working as a policeman in Glen Oak, while Lucy decided to fulfill her dream of being a minister. She is now ministering at the church that she and her family attended when they were younger, as her father has long since retired.

School: Claire-Aurora High School-grade 10, Noah-Mesa Gray Middle School-grade 8, Brooke-Dusk Elementary School-Grade 6

**Simon and Aimee Camden** have one daughter, Talie, 12. Simon works as a lawyer downtown and Aimee is an accountant.

School: Talie-Mesa Gray Middle School-grade 7

**Ruthie and Peter Petrowski** have no children. They live just outside of San Francisco, an hour and a half away from Glen Oak. Both are 7th grade teachers at Silver Scale Middle School, Ruthie teachers english and Peter teaches math.

**Sam and Faith Camden** are expecting their first child in four months, on May 22. They are waiting until the birth to find out the baby's gender. They live in Dallas, Texas, where Sam is a Psychologist, and Faith is a journalist. Since Faith works at home, she will be taking a maternity leave after the baby is born, but will not be quitting.

**David Camden** is living in Houston Texas as a Legal Assistant. He is not married, but is in a serious relationship with Kate Myer, who he has been dating for 3 years as of this past December.

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January 9 

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 1: Part 2: Meet and Greet

Michelle Camden smiled as the bell rang to signal the end of 7th hour, the last class of the school day at Aurora High School. She quickly gathered up her things and started out the door of the classroom and down the hall toward the senior parking lot. When she was about to open the door to go out to her car, she was met by Chris, her twin brother. Together they walked to Michelle's small, silver car. She dumped her things inside and got in, waving to her brother as she drove by him as he got into his own red pickup. The drive home was a short one, and when Michelle pulled up into the driveway, she was surprised to see that Chris' truck was already parked there. Though neither of the teens admitted it, they had always made it a bit of a race to see who would get home first. Michelle sighed and pulled up next to the truck. She picked up her things and went inside. As soon as she walked through the door, Sarah ran over to Michelle with her finger on her lips.

"Be nice and quiet." She told her daughter. "I finally got Emily down for her nap. She's been so sleepy all day after playing at preschool this morning, and you know how hard it is to get her down anyway. Little miss 'I don't need a nap.'" Michelle nodded with a laugh and started up the stairs quietly. When she got to the top, she saw a hall with 4 doors next to one another. There was a door on each side of her, facing opposite the 4 doors in front of her, and one at the end of the hall. She smiled. Whenever her friends came over when she was little, everyone would get confused to which room was which. Silently she pointed to each, labeling it, starting with the farthest away of the four doors. _'Chris' room, Emily's room, my room, linen closet.' _She then turned to the two doors facing opposite the bedrooms. _'Bathroom, storage', _then turning to the door at the end of the hall, _'mom and dad's room'. _She smiled proudly, even though knowing the rooms wasn't much of a feat anymore. She carried her things into her room and dumped them on her desk before collapsing onto the light pink and white splotched comforter on her twin size bed. She stretched her arms out to her sides and took a deep breath. It was good to be home from school. Ever since school started again after winter break on January 2nd, she had been absolutely exhausted by the large second semester workload the teachers were already piling on.

Down the hall, Chris was sitting at his wooden desk that stretched from the right side of his door to his wall. On the left half, he had all his school books on a shelf and papers spread out everywhere on the surface. On the right side of the desk, closest to the wall, he had his computer on, with a blank Microsoft Word document on the screen. He sat at the computer, his head in his hands. This Friday, he had a story due for Creative Writing that had been assigned the first day back from break. Now that he had put it off for a full week, he realized he really needed to get started. The only problem was that he didn't have any idea what he was going to write about. _"Let your creative juices flow! Your story can be about any thing you want, as long as it's appropriate and fictional!"_ His teacher, Miss Black had said. '_Well maybe my creative juices don't want to flow.'_ Chris thought to himself. He stood, frustrated, and started down the hall to Michelle's room. His sister had taken Creative Writing last year because she took summer school to get the junior year English out of the way. Now that they were seniors, she was in journalism, while Chris was still stuck in Creative Writing like most seniors. He knocked on her door, and when she called back to come in, he entered her room. Michelle was still lying on her bed, now holding a book. She laid the book down on her stomach and looked up at her twin.

"Remember that story last year that Miss Black had you write after Christmas break?" He asked. He remembered her being assigned it last year, but unlike Chris, she had been ecstatic to do it. Michelle looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes...why?" She asked, looking at him suspiciously. '

"What did you write about? I can't think of one idea, Shell. Help." Michelle sighed and sat up slowly. She swung her feet down to the ground and turned to face her brother off the side of her bed.

"I wrote about a girl who had been put up for adoption at birth and her search for her birth mother...she kept finding out more and more things about her birth family as she searched...like she had a brother and two sisters...and stuff like that. It was really cool, if I do say so myself. Just think of something sit down and think of some type of plot and then start typing. I'm not thinking of one for you."

"Come on, Shelly! Help me out a little." He begged. Michelle glared at him and laid back down again, getting her book from where she had put it on the night stand when she sat up.

"I'm not doing your homework for you, Christopher. Run along and do it _yourself._" She said scoldingly, raising her voice quite a bit. Chris winced. He hated it when she called him Christopher. His sister, older than him by only 2 minutes, seemed to think that she ruled over him sometimes, and it bugged him. He rolled his eyes at her then walked out of her room, slamming the door behind him.

"Shhh!" Called Sarah from downstairs, but it was too late. Michelle heard Emily stirring in the next room, and a few seconds later, heard the four-year-old open her door and go downstairs.

"Great job, _Chris_." Michelle called after her brother.

"Thanks, _Michelle._" He spat back, then slammed his own door.

"Chris! Michelle! Come here-now!" Called Sarah angrily from downstairs. Michelle sighed and sat up again. Once more, her brother had gotten _both_ of them in trouble. She stood and walked downstairs where Sarah met her with her hands on her hips. She pointed to the sofa in the family room. Michelle went and sat down there, met by her brother moments later. Sarah came over holding Emily's hand. The 3-year-olds face was tear streaked and puffy.

"I told both of you, specifically, when you came in that you sister was asleep. I told you that it took me a long time to get her down and that she was in great need of her nap. So what do you do? Run around up there yelling and slamming doors!"

"That was Chris!" Michelle said. Sarah raised her eyebrow.

"_"I'm not doing your homework for you, Christopher. Run along and do it yourself."" _Said Sarah, mocking what she had heard upstairs. "Yes, I'm sure that was Chris, doing an impression of you, yelling at _himself._" Sarah said. "I'm sick of you two waking up Emily! It's happened 4 times in the last 7 days and it has got to stop! Tonight, Michelle will be setting the table and doing the dishes." Michelle's jaw dropped and Chris snickered. "And you, _Chris_, will be pouring all the drinks and serving the food. That includes anyone wanting anything during the course of the meal...a refill, a piece of toast, utensils they may need, anything. Is that understood."

"Yes." The twins said in unison, sounding disheartened.

"Good. Now go upstairs and do your homework. Chris get started on that English paper, and Michelle, quit reading and start working."

"How did you know I was reading?" Michelle asked, astonished.

"You do so everyday and every day I come tell you to do your homework. It was a good guess." She told her. Michelle frowned and started up the stairs after Chris. Once again, Chris and Emily had succeeded in ruining all her fun.

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Mary Rivera ran around the home she and her husband, Carlos, shared, busily getting ready to leave for work. She was moving so quickly, in fact, that when she spun around the corner separating the master bath and bedrooms, she didn't even see Carlos until she slammed into him. She backed up and apologized with a laugh. He laughed along with her and patted her on the head.

"It's OK, just watch where you're going next time, ma'am." He joked, unsuccessfully trying to keep a straight face. Mary folded her arms and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Yes, sir." She said. With that, they both finished getting ready for work. Despite the fact that her face would be covered for most of the day, Mary spent 20 minutes every morning applying makeup, something which she was often teased about my Carlos. That morning, she stood at the sink in the bathroom putting on her eyeliner when she heard Carlos honking the horn outside. He had honked 4 times already, and they were noticeably late. She finished up quickly and went out to the driveway where he was waiting right after the 6th honk. Carlos shook his head disapprovingly at his wife as she climbed into the seat next to him. _'New York Women._' He thought to himself with a sigh, and pulled out of the driveway, making his way as quickly as possible to the firehouse.

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Lucy Kinkirk sat at the desk in her office at the church, typing rhythmically on the keyboard of her laptop. She had been working on Sunday's sermon for the last hour, and had it about half way done. She always liked to get her sermons done on Monday-it gave her the rest of the week to spend with her family, and she didn't have to worry about writing them late Saturday night like her father so often had. The office, formerly her father's, looked much different than it had when Eric or Chandler had worked in it. Now, instead of two chairs facing the desk, their was a matching sofa and love seat. The wall opposite her desk was almost completely covered by bookshelves, which were full to the brim with hundreds of books. She liked it that way-anytime she needed spiritual encouragement, or help on a sermon, or even a sermon idea, she could find it in her books. She also allowed church members to borrow the books, making her office into a sort of a library. Her oak desk had pictures of her family all over it. In the middle was one of she and her husband and children. There was one of just she and Kevin, one of Kevin in his police outfit, all of the kids' school pictures, and family photos of her brothers and sisters with their children and spouses.

She always liked to think of her office as a welcoming place, and that's truly what it was. From the minute people walked through the door with the plaque reading 'Reverend Lucy Kinkirk', they were dazzled by her book collection, photos of family, and little trinkets throughout the room. Lucy sighed when the phone rang. She didn't like to be interrupted while working on her sermons, especially when she was on a roll with the words like she was today. She leaned over and answered the phone.

"Hello, this is Reverend Kinkirk." She answered. "Hi Brooke, what do you need?" It was her youngest child. At age 11, Brooke was in her last year at the Elementary School. "Yes, you may have a bag of popcorn. Next time just ask Claire or Noah, all right? Thanks honey. I'll be home as soon as I finish this sermon. I love you. Bye." She hung up and smiled at the picture of her daughter before returning her gaze to her laptop. She clicked save and continued writing. This Sunday's sermon was going to be about humility, a topic discussed frequently lately.

After another 45 minutes of writing, she finally finished the writing and editing of the sermon notes...her guideline to speaking on the pulpit. She read over it once more before hooking a cable between her laptop and printer and printing out two copies. She packed up her laptop in it's carrying case, tucking one copy of the sermon notes in along with it, and left the other on the desk. With that, she stood and left her office, locking it behind her, and started for home where her family was waiting.

_A/N_: I hope you liked chapter one of Beyond The Horizon! Please Review, and keep an eye out for chapter two, coming soon to a computer near you.


	2. Old Friends

_Disclaimer:_ See chapter one. I also don't own Honda.

_A/N:_ Hello! Thanks for reviewing! I've heard that there have been some problems lately when it comes to being able to review, so thanks to those of you who tried but couldn't submit one. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and keep trying to review!

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**January 8**

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 2: Old Friends

12-year-old Natalie Camden, Talie for short skipped up the walk to the front door of her home. She grabbed her house key out of her backpack and let herself in. Once Talie was inside, she walked over and sat her things down on the kitchen table. Then, as usual, she walked to the microwave, where there were 2 chocolate chip cookies waiting and 0:15 on the microwave screen. She pushed start and while her cookies heated up, she poured herself a glass of milk. When the microwave beeped, she got out her snack and sat everything down on the table, finally sitting to eat. In between bites, she got out her binder and opened up to her math section where a blank worksheet awaited her. With a sigh, she ate the rest of her remaining cookie, and started her homework.

3 hours later, Aimee Camden, Talie's mother, walked through the door. She was dressed in a gray business suit and carrying her briefcase, looking regal and sophisticated as she walked over to greet her only child. She kissed Talie's forehead and asked how her day was. Talie gave her mother the so-so signal with her hand and looked back down to her homework, now working on science. Aimee laughed and looked again at her daughter.

"So talkative today." She joked. Talie just nodded. Aimee threw up her hands and started for the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. "Pre-teens." She said with a sigh, and switched on her coffeepot.

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Earlier That Afternoon in San Francisco...

"All right everyone. Good class today. Tonight, I want you to be finishing the problems you started on page 521, and do numbers 1-25 on page 522, due tomorrow." The class moaned as Peter Petrowski assigned them homework for the night. He just shook his head as the bell rang. "Class dismissed." He said, and the 7th graders grabbed their things and quickly scurried out of the room. He smiled and sat down at his desk. It was now the lunch hour, so he had 46 minutes until his next class arrived. He picked up the paper sitting on his desk and began to read. He looked up when he heard a quiet knock on his door, and smiled at his wife as she came into the room and shut the door behind her. With a laugh, she ran over and sat down on Peter's lap, facing towards him. She put her hands on the back of his head and pulled him forward, kissing him. When they separated almost 10 seconds later, Peter smiled at Ruthie.

"What was that for?" He asked. Ruthie smiled and kissed him again.

"For being a good husband." She kissed him. "Whom I love very much." He smiled at her and put her arms around her, drawing her in for an embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. "How has your day been?" She asked sleepily.

"Pretty good. The kids minds are still on break though." He told he with a laugh. He felt her shake her head.

"Mine are too. It's like their bodies are here, but their brains are elsewhere. A bunch of zombies." She said. Peter agreed. Ruthie sat up and looked at her husband.

"Do you want to go out for lunch? We can have a...a mini date." Peter laughed.

"That sounds good." He told her. She got off his lap and he stood up. They walked out of the classroom together, and he locked the door behind them. Ruthie locked up her classroom as well, and with that, they walked out to the parking lot, hand in hand.

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Dallas, TX

Faith Camden's hands shook uncontrollably as she and her husband pulled out of their driveway and started down the street. She was covered in goose bumps. They were headed to the doctor's office, located five minutes from their home, where Faith would be having her 5-month check up. Her checkups always made her nervous. She was always sure that something was going to go wrong with the baby or herself, and it scared her greatly. In the last two years, Faith had suffered three miscarriages. She and Sam had been trying for children since the beginning of their marriage, but she was starting to get discouraged. If something were to happen this time...she didn't even want to think about it. She didn't know if she would have the courage or the strength to try again.

Sam looked over at his wife. He reached out and held her hand, trying to keep it from shaking. He had to be strong for her on the outside, but in reality, he was just as afraid as she was. After losing three babies already, he and his wife were beginning to wonder if they would be able to have a child at all. Yet, in September, Faith had found out that she was pregnant again. Now it was January, and she had made it through five and a half wicked months, terrified all the time. She felt sick from worry every second she was awake, and slept restlessly every night.

As they pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office, Faith's face paled. _Oh please, please, Lord, let everything be OK with the baby. Please._ She begged silently. Sam parked and got out of the car. He came around to Faith's side and opened her door for her. He helped her out, and as soon as she shut his door, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"It's going to be OK." He told whispered in her ear. "It will." Faith looked up and met her husband's deep blue eyes. She wiped a tear off her cheek.

"I hope so." She told him quietly. He took his hand in hers and led her inside. They sat down in the waiting room and we called in by a nurse 8 minutes later. She led them down the hall and into a small room with blue paint covering the walls. There were pictures of the stages of pregnancy on the walls, along with pictures of babies, and books on shelves. After giving her a quick checkup, the nurse left. 5 minutes later, Faith's doctor, Allie Jones, entered the room. She smiled at Faith and Sam.

"Hello." She greeted them with a smile. She opened their file, which she was holding. After looking at it for a moment, she looked back up at them. "Wow. Already five months into it! How are you feeling?"

"Physically, I'm doing fine. I haven't had any morning sickness or anything. Mentally though, I'm a mess." She told her honestly. Dr. Jones nodded with a small smile.

"It's very understandable that you be nervous. Why don't you lie down and we'll see how things are going with the baby. Calm you down a little." Faith nodded and laid down. The doctor lifted Faith's shirt, revealing a small bump on her stomach. She smoothed some clear, cool gel on over her belly and turned on the ultra-sound screen. She moved a probe slowly over her stomach, sending a black and white image onto the screen. A heartbeat sounded throughout the room, and Faith let out her breath that she was holding. Sam held his wife's hand as the doctor studied the screen. After a few minutes, she turned to look at the couple.

"Everything looks fine." She told them with a smile, and saw a relieved look sweep over Faith's face. "Can you see the baby?" She asked, turning to the screen. "This here is the head, and here's it's torso, and it's legs. And here the hands. Look, the baby's waving!" She said with a laugh as the figure on the screen moved its hand back and forth. "Now, would you like to know the gender of your baby? I can tell, this far along." Sam and Faith looked at one another shortly, then shook their heads.

"No, we want it to be a surprise." Faith told her. Sam nodded his agreement. The doctor nodded.

"All right. Just let me know if you change your mind. I'm going to shut this off now, take one last look to last you until your 7th month! Of course, we'll be sending home a picture with you, but you won't see it moving for two months." Faith nodded and studied every inch of the screen. She kissed her hand and slowly moved it towards the monitor, placing it on the baby's head.

"I love you, baby." Faith whispered softly. "Mommy loves you, and so does daddy. We love you very, very much."

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Houston, TX

David Camden walked into his apartment and shut the door behind him. He flipped on the lights and looked around his always-clean apartment. Since he was just a child, he had been very organized, and it was working out well now that he lived alone. He walked into his room and into his closet to change into his pajamas. After dressing and brushing his teeth, he shut off the lights and got into bed.

He woke up early the next morning; he had a lot to do today before his date with his girlfriend of three years, Kate, tonight at 6:00. He had breakfast and got dressed in his work clothes, then, after visiting a few places, went to work as a Legal Assistant. When he finished work at 5:00 that night, he hurried home and got on his nice tan slacks and a long sleeved blue button up shirt. By the time he was done, it was 5:50, and time to go get Kate. Since she lived in the same apartment building, he just had to get in the elevator. When he arrived at room 523C, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. When Kate opened the door, he gasped. She wore a short black dress with a wavy bottom edge. It was in a fifties style with a fitted top and a loose bottom, complete with a light pink tie around the waist. Kate had her auburn hair curled into loose circles framing her face. Her hazel eyes shone brightly at the excitement of seeing her boyfriend. He stepped forward and put his arms around her.

"You look amazing." He told her. She smiled and kissed him sweetly, the way she always did, and the way that he loved, then smiled at him.

"Thanks. So do you." She said. David reached out his hand and she took it.

"Shall we go?" He asked. "We have reservations at 6:30 and a 20 minute drive." Kate nodded and they started down the hall. When they reached his car, David opened the passenger side door for Kate and helped her get seated. After she was all ready, he shut the door and got in on his side. Their 20-minute drive to "Café de Paris", Kate's favorite restaurant, was filled with taking and laughter. When they got there, David helped his girlfriend out and they walked hand in hand into the restaurant.

Looking as sophisticated as ever with it's peach colored table settings and pastel colored accents, Café de Paris was anything but a little café. Chandlers hung from the ceiling, light sparkling down onto the tables through the glass beads. A waiter seated the couple at the edge of the dance floor, as David had requested. The dance floor was beautiful hard wood. At the end of it was a stage with band playing a slow song softy. Couples swayed on the floor as if they had not a care in the world. The waiter brought over a bottle of champagne and poured David and Kate each a glass. They toasted and took a sip.

After they ate their dinner, David stood and extended his hand to Kate.

"Would you do me the honor of a dance?" He asked her. Kate's eyes sparkled beautifully as she reached up and took his hand.

"Of course I will." She said. He led her into the very center of the dance floor and pulled her up close to him as they began to dance slowly to the quiet music. About halfway through the song, the music stopped and they Kate heard the microphone being switched on. She pulled away from David to see an African American man, the saxophone player in fact, standing at the front of the stage.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, for interrupting this song." He said in a smooth voice, "But is there a Katherine Myer in here?" Kate blushed and looked up, wondering what was going on.  
  
"That's me." She said with a suspicious smile.

"Well, Miss Myer, I do believe that the gentleman next to you has a question." Kate spun around and gasped when she saw David down on his knee. Immediately tears sprung to her eyes and began to roll down her cheeks.

"Kate...I love you more than anything in the world. You're so important to me. The last three years of my life have been amazing, and I want that to last forever. Katherine Myer, will become Katherine Camden? Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He asked her. Kate was trying hard to stop crying. Finally, she whispered:

"Yes." David jumped up and put his arms around her, kissing her while everyone in the room applauded. He backed up and slipped the ring onto her finger, then took her back into his arms as the band began to play again. They began to sway back and forth to the music.

"You're amazing." Kate whispered into her fiancé's ear.

"I love you." David whispered back. Kate smiled softly and wiped another tear off her cheek.

"I love you too."

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A/N: I hope you liked this—I did! Haha. Please review! Also, if you have any ides for this story, please e-mail me at CamdenGirlFanFic (at) (site won't let me display the actual link), subject line as "BTH Story Idea". Thanks.


	3. Planning for the Future

_Disclaimer:_ See chapter One. I do not own Borders

_A/N:_ Thanks for the reviews, once again! I'm glad to see that the site's working. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please hit the little button at the bottom of the chapter and review!

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**January 12**

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 3: Planning for the Future

Dallas, Texas 

Sam Camden walked through the front door of the small one story home that he and his wife owned carrying a bag from Borders. He sat it down on the kitchen table and pulled out a thick book, then walked over to Faith, who was sitting on the couch watching the news. He picked up the remote and shut it off. Faith looked up at him with a confused smile.

"What's going on?" She asked, seeing the book in his hands. Faith scooted over and Sam sat down next to her.

"Well, I thought we should start talking about names for the baby...so that's why I picked this up." He said, holding up 'The Big Baby Name Book'. Faith smiled and ran to her office, returning a minute later with a blank notepad and a pen.

"OK." Faith said. "I'll write down all the suggestions that we like, and then we can narrow them down when we're done, all right?" Sam nodded and opened the book. Boys names were in the front, so they decided to do those first. He sat the book between them and they started to say the names that they liked. When they finished with boys names, they moved onto girls names. By the time they were done, Faith had quite a list. She handed the list to Sam and he looked it over.

_Boys: Andrew, Anthony, Alex, Braiden, Brandon, Benjamin, Caleb, Christopher, David, Daniel, Ethan, Hunter, James, Luke, Matthew, Michael, Nathan, Noah, Robert, Ryan, Stephan, Timothy, Thomas_

_Girls: Anna, Amanda, Alexis, Ashley, Alyssa, Brittany, Brianna, Cassidy, Caroline, Danielle, Elizabeth, Ella, Hailey, Isabelle, Jessica, Katherine, Katrina, Lisa, Linda, Michelle, Melissa, Nina, Olivia, Patricia, Rebecca, Sylvia, Victoria_

"OK, we have to cross out Chris and Michelle, because they're Sarah and Matt's twins...same with Noah. Our baby can't have the same name as their cousin. Out of the boys names, I like Anthony, Alex, Braiden, Brandon, Benjamin, Caleb and Ethan. And of these girls names, I like Amanda, Alyssa, Elizabeth, Isabelle, and Katrina." Sam told his wife. She crossed out the names that Sam didn't like, then looked over the ones that were still in the running.

"Well, for a boy, out of those names, I like Anthony, Alex, and Benjamin. For a girl, I like Amanda, Elizabeth, and Katrina." She told him. "Our son will have to have your first name as his middle name...follow tradition. How about...Benjamin Samuel? Ben?"

"I really like that. For a girl...how about Elizabeth Faith?" He suggested.

"Sounds nice. So...Benjamin Samuel or Elizabeth Faith?" She confirmed. Sam nodded his head and Faith smiled. She put her hand down on her stomach. Suddenly, an unsure look replaced her grin.

"Wait, wait, wait...this wasn't a good idea, I mean, what if this doesn't work out either, now we have the baby named! It'll make it even harder!" Sam took Faith's hands in his.

"It'll be OK. This is the farthest you've ever made in a pregnancy...that has to be a good sign. I can't guarantee that this will work out...but we can guarantee that it won't either." Faith nodded and Sam kissed here. "We can do this." He told her and she nodded, but somewhere deep inside her, she knew she wasn't so sure.

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**January 22**

Kate walked over to where David was sitting at his wooden table in his apartment kitchen. With a smile, she sat down and looked over at her fiancé. He had a notebook open and a pen sitting next to him. Kate sat down a few books and brochures.

"OK...so here's choices for where we can hold the ceremony." She said setting out two brochures. "Here's some reception ideas. Now, ceremony décor: Flowers, I'm thinking either lilies, or roses." She opened to marked places in the books, showing pictures of the flowers. "More décor, around the edges of the room, I was thinking candles if there are shelves kind of high...we could have maybe flowers, candle, flowers, candle, ya know? And then, for the reception, I was thinking crème colored tablecloths and pink flowers everywhere. Then more candles, more flowers up high, like the ceremony. Then, I was thinking..."

"Kate!" David interjected. "Honey, listen, I love you and you know that, on...wedding details? We got engaged 2 weeks ago today and you already know all that?" He asked. Kate smiled sadly at him.

"I know baby, I'm sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just...I've been thinking about my wedding since I was a little girl...but honestly...doesn't what I described sound wonderful? I mean..."

"Yes, it does sound nice. OK, Kate...I know how much it all means to you. Why don't you choose what you like on all the décor and everything, write it all down and once you know, come show me and we can chat about it, all right?" Kate smiled.

"Thank you, Davey." She said, kissing him. "That would be so much fun! I think I mostly have it figured out...but I'll have a great time. Thank you!" She raised her shoulders with a cute smile. "Yay. I'm going to go plan now..." She jumped up and kissed David before running over to his computer and starting up the internet to print some pictures for her fiancé.

David laughed softly to himself as he watched the love of his life look up pictures so happily on his computer. He loved it when she smiled. She looked so happy...she was glowing. He stopped work completely and turned his chair to face her. Today, he had something more important to look at then legal papers.

_A/N:_ Sorry that this is so short! I'm already suffering from writers block haha. Enjoy and review!


	4. An Evening of Celebrations

_Disclaimer:_ See chapter one.

_A/N:_ Thank you for the reviews! My writer's block has cleared a bit...enough for me to get you a new chapter, at least!

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**February 14, Valentines Day**

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 4: An Evening of Celebrations

February was full of birthdays for the Camden children and their spouses and children. Emily turned four on the 12th, and of course Sam and David celebrated their birthday on the 14th. Emily was very happy to be yet another year older and spent Valentines strutting her four-year-old stuff around the Camden home. Michelle plugged her ears as she heard her younger sister start loudly down the hall again. She had been stomping everywhere she went today, trying to sound bigger. For the last hour, she had been pacing the halls, yelling out occasionally. As Emily set out on her 52nd pass down the hall, she decided to stomp right into her sister's room. Seeing that she had her ears plugged, she decided that she would have to be louder so that she could still hear her.

"Chelly! Chelly! Chelly! Chelly! Chelly! Chelly!" She yelled loud and monotonous, stomping as she went. "How old is you, Chelly? I is four. Four-years-old. One, two , three four!" Michelle unplugged her ears and glared at the little girl standing in front of her.

"It's How old are you. Not is you. And I am 17." She told her. Emily folder her arms and frowned at Michelle.

"Fine, fine, fine!" She said angrily. "I'll go so how old Chris are then!" She said, stomping out of the room extra loud.

"How old Chris is!" Michelle corrected, then plugged her ears and went back to her work.

* * *

Kate smoothed her red cocktail dress carefully before she rang David's doorbell. He opened the door with a smile and kissed her.

"Happy birthday!" Kate said excitedly to her fiancé. He smiled at her and winked.

"Thank you. Happy Valentines Day." He returned. Kate laughed. Every year on this day they said the same thing, but to her, it always seemed new. David walked out and locked the door behind him. He reached out and took her hand.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her. Kate nodded with a smile and they walked together down the hall and to David's car. When they got there, he helped his fiancée into the car before getting into the driver's seat and drove them to their favorite dinner spot, the place where they had become engaged: Café de Paris.

When they got there, they went inside and were seated right away. After their champagne was delivered and they toasted to David's birthday and their engagement, the couple settled in and looked over the menu. Finally, they decided to split the marinated chicken, and Kate, always healthy, ordered a cobb salad as well.

They ate slowly, taking in their surroundings. After eating for 10 minutes, Kate looked up and look a breath to speak.

"Ok...I wanted to tell you what I've thought of for the wedding." David nodded with a smile. This having her decide thing was a good idea. I was thinking that we could have the ceremony at the church...maybe you sister could marry us? And I want to have some crème colored candles burning around the church...kind of give it a homey feeling." David nodded and Kate continued. "For the reception...I was thinking that we could have it in the church's celebration hall. We could set up all the tables...round...8 people per. Then in the middle of each table, we could have some pink roses. The tablecloths can be crème colored, and around the edges of the room, I think it would be beautiful to have some pink cloths on the shelves with some more crème candles. What do you think?" David shut his eyes for a minute to visualize what Kate had described. Finally, he opened his eyes again and looked at her.

"Wow. A lot of pink. My favorite color, of course." He told her jokingly. "But...I think it will look amazing. Really. I want you to have everything you want for the wedding. Everything you just said: done. Write it down for me and then I'll get everything ordered and set up and everything."

"You don't have to do that, honey! I'll order everything. I don't want you to have to worry about it. But thank you for offering." She said with a smile. David smiled back at her as he took the last bite of his food. After downing the last bit of his champagne, he stood and reached his out to Kate.

"Would you like you dance?" He asked.

"Of course I'd like to dance." She answered him with a smile. They went to the floor in front of the band and began to slow dance amid the other couples. Kate leaned her head down onto David's shoulder and smiled as she shut her eyes and took in his scent. This was where she was happy, this was what she wanted; and her smile widened as she realized that this was exactly what she was going to have for the rest of her life.

* * *

Faith and Sam walked into their one-story home hand in hand, just arriving home from Faith's 6-month-check up. From what Doctor Jones had been able to tell them, things were still going normally. As Sam shut the door, Faith moved her hands instinctively over her stomach. She was starting to show a reasonable amount, and while she loved the thought of a baby causing the bump, it also scared her more than anything else in the world. She wanted nothing more than for her baby to be born safely, to be a mother finally. Sam came up behind her and put his arms around her, putting his hands over her stomach as well.

"It's going to be OK." He whispered in her ear for what seemed like the hundredth time today. Faith nodded slowly a sighed. She hoped so. Sam came around in front of her and knelt down to be at equal height with her stomach. He rubbed his hands over the bump once more and smiled. "Hi Benjamin or Elizabeth." He said softly. He looked up to his wife. "Or I guess Ben or Lizzy, right?" He asked.

"Lizzy, Liza, Liz...I love them all." She smiled, wondering if Ben or Lizzy was inside her. She looked over at Sam. "Do we _have_ to wait until they're born?" She asked him with a smile.

"Well, that's what we had decided, and that's what I'd like to stick to unless you really want to find out now...if you do, we can." He told her.

"I want to find out...but I think we should still stick to the waiting thing. Ya know, just in case something happens..." She trailed off but Sam knew how she was going to finish her sentence.

"Then we can't get attached...knowing their name...who they are...," He said.

"It would make it even harder." She finished. Sam nodded and stood back up, taking her again into his arms. He brushed a tear off of her cheek as she laid her head down on his shoulder.

"It's going to be all right." She reassured herself quietly, now being the one to say it. She repeated herself over and over, getting a little louder each time.

"It will." Sam told her. "It will." Suddenly, Faith gasped and grabbed her stomach, jumping away from Sam. Sam nearly felt his heart stop. "What?! What's wrong?!" He cried. Suddenly, Faith began to laugh.

"The baby! It kicked!" She cried. Sam sighed deeply, relieved that everything was OK. He walked over and put his hand over her stomach just as the baby kicked again. "So that's what it's been!" Faith said, eyes wide. "My stomach has felt so weird for a few weeks...it was the baby starting to kick! Sam! None of the other ones ever made it to this stage!" She felt hope spreading over her as Sam smiled and put his arms around her.

"We're going to make it." He told her, and for the first time in a while, she began to feel that it just might be true."

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_A/N:_ I hope that you enjoyed this! Please review! If you have any ideas for this story, please send them to camdengirlfanfic (at) , with the subject line being BTH story idea. Thanks!


	5. Reflections

_Disclaimer_: See chapter one. I do not own Sesame Street (so in there for you, Alyssa)

_A/N:_ Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews! I can't tell you how glad I am that everyone is enjoying my story thus far. I love finding reviews in my mailbox! Well, anyway, let's get going on chapter 5. Enjoy and review!

LINE

February 29 

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 5: Reflections

Faith Camden sighed nervously as she reached for the phone on her kitchen counter. She couldn't believe what she was about to do, doing it, no doubt, as a last resort. Here, in Dallas, Faith had friends: who didn't? She had friends, but none with kids-none with the experience required to supply her the guidance she so needed. She stopped, questioning herself once more. What was she about to ask of her dear friend? To toss aside everything and to come to Faith's rescue: that's what. She reached out and picked up the phone. With shaking fingers, she dialed the number that she knew so well, and after a few rings, Sarah picked up the phone.

"Sarah...it's Faith." She began nervously. After being greeted warmly by Sarah, she began to calm down...just enough to get out what she needed to say. "Sarah, I need to ask you a favor...a huge, huge favor. And if you can't do it, I totally understand, really I do. I won't even question it..." She took a deep breath. "Can you come to Dallas? I'll pay for your tickets. I just need someone to help me clear some things up, and I think you're the one to do so...maybe Chris or Michelle could keep an eye on little Emily, and of course there's Matt. But again, I mean, if you can't it's OK. I totally..." Sarah cut her off with a laugh.

"Faith, of course I'll come. I have some parent-teacher stuff up at the school for the twins, just need to get something worked out with Chris' teacher, but I'll be there Saturday morning, and you don't need to pay for my tickets. Any excuse to come see you is a good one, it's no problem. Really."

"Thank you _so_ much" Faith said, finally calm again. She walked over and sat down in her husband's favorite chair in their living room: a puffy red recliner. She leaned back and held the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she put her hands on her stomach. "I really, really appreciate it."

"Is there anything you want to talk about over the phone?" Sarah asked, worried about her friend.

"No...I think it would be better to talk in person. Don't worry though, everything's fine...I just...well...we'll talk when you're here." In the background of Sarah's home, Faith heard Emily crying. Sarah sighed deeply.

"Faith, I have to go...Emily's crying again. Surely Chris or Michelle's fault, by the way, she keeps getting in their way, and they yell at her, and well, this is what happens. Are you sure everything's OK though...really sure that you can wait until Saturday"

"I'm sure. Now go take care of my niece." She told her sister-in-law. "I love you...bye." Sarah returned the sentiment and they hung up their phones. Faith set the phone on the end table next to her and rubbed her hands back and forth over her stomach carefully. Her body exhausted from hosting a child, she shut her eyes. She drifted off to sleep with her hands curled protectively around her abdomen, singing quietly as she slipped off.

"You Are My Sunshine  
My only sunshine.  
You make me happy  
When skies are gray.  
You'll never know, dear,   
How much I love you.  
Please don't take my sunshine away

_Please don't take...my sunshine...away..."_

LINE

Sarah hung up the phone and sighed. What could be bothering Faith so much that she wanted her to fly all the way to Dallas to help? She wasn't fooled by Faith's 'Nothing's Wrong' façade that she so often put on. Yes, she knew better than to fall for that for a second. She figured that it had something to do with the pregnancy, but...

"Mommy!" Whined Emily, breaking Sarah from her thoughts. She couldn't help but laughed when she looked at her precious daughter. She was covered from head to toe in chocolate pudding.

"Honey...!" Sarah began. "Who-who gave you pudding?"

"Chelly." She answered matter-of-factly. "She said that I was being annoying and to go do something else and I asked if I could have some pudding and she said yes and got it for me." She explained in her young, 4-year-old voice. Sarah shook her head disapprovingly.

"All righty then...we need to get you in the bath tub, pronto." She said, shooing the child toward the stairs. She made her way to the upstairs bathroom. When she got there, Emily was already sitting in the tub waiting. After starting the water, Sarah picked up the child's pudding-laden cloths off the floor and put them in the sink with some water. She turned back to Emily who was watching excitedly as the water filled higher and higher.

"Mamma!" She shrieked when the water got up as high as she was comfortable with. Sarah rushed over and shut off the water with a quiet laugh. Ever since she was a baby, Emily had been terrified of the water getting too high...so sure that she would drown. Sarah was at a loss to what had originally prompted the fear, and unfortunately, thus far, it had stuck. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Sarah told her. "Ok, spin around. We need to get this icky stuff washed out of your hair. She grabbed the plastic cup off the side of the bathtub rim and filled it with water, pouring it over Emily's head once it was full. The child squealed with delight as the water trickled down her back and neck. Sarah got a hand full of the yellow colored baby shampoo-conditioner and rubbed it around in her daughter's hair. Emily giggled even more as the bubbles from the later made their way slowly down her forehead and neck. After she washed Emily's hair, Sarah had her daughter stand up as she drained the dirty tub water. She turned the shower-head on a low setting and rinsed the remaining pudding and bubbles off the child.

As soon as her mother shut off the water, Emily jumped out of the tub and onto the rug where Sarah wrapped her tightly in her red Elmo towel. She brushed through her daughter's curly brown hair with a comb for just a second before the 4-year-old took off out of the room and down the stairs. Sarah followed the little girl into the family room where she was sitting on the sofa.

"I wanna watch Elmo!" She cried. Sarah laughed. Emily had always loved Sesame Street, just like Chris and Michelle had as children. They used to be in the TV room every time it was going to be on, without fail.

"OK, but first, go up to your room and put on your jammies...I have them laid out on your bed." Emily took off like a flash. Sarah laughed and reached into the cabinet, getting out Emily's favorite Sesame Street video and popping it into the player. She pushed the play as she saw Emily hurrying back down the stairs, dressed in her pink pajama's that her Grandmother, or as Emily called her "Granny Annie" had given her. She snuggled onto the sofa and smiled as her video started.

Sarah stood back against the wall, watching her youngest child contentedly. When she had found out that she was pregnant again, she had been terrified. Now she knew only one thing for sure. This was the best thing that ever could have happened to her.

LINE

**March 1**

The Kinkirk home was completely silent when Kevin came through the door after a long day at work. He shut the door quietly behind him and locked it. When he turned around, he smiled. Lucy was standing at the bottom of the stairs dressed in her pink silk robe, tied loosely around her waist. Kevin walked over and put his arms around her. He looked down at her face. Though the room was dimly lit, he could still see the way that her loose blonde curls framed her face, just as they had since the day he met her. Still, every day, they seemed to be more beautiful, more refined. He loved it. She smiled at him.

"Watcha thinking about?" She asked him quietly.

"You." He told her with a smile. She smiled back and they kissed. "How was your day?" he asked.

"Good...plain." She answered. "Brooke was having some trouble with her homework so Claire helped her, which I thought was sweet. Brooke seems to be having a harder time in 6th grade than she has before."

"Wasn't it like that with Claire and Noah though as well?" He asked. "I thought their homework and studying picked up then too."

"I think—so--." She told him, yawning loudly half way through her sentence. Kevin laughed and kissed his wife on the forehead.

"Honey, you didn't have to wait up for me. Come on, you're tired. Go to bed." He took her hand and led her upstairs. When they got to their bedroom, Lucy got in bed and under the covers easily. Kevin leaned down and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too." She answered him sleepily. Kevin stood there watching her fall asleep for a few minutes. Soon, her breathing deepened, signaling her decent into slumber. Kevin smiled. He loved the way she looked when she was asleep. No, he loved how she looked no matter what she was doing. Weather she was all dressed up to go to one of the charity balls that the police department held every so often or if she was in plain shorts and a tee-shirt, drenched in sweat after working outside all day. Yes, he loved her the same, no matter what. To him...she was always just Lucy, his adorable, gorgeous wife; and that was that he ever wanted.

LINE

A/N: I hope, like usual, that you really enjoyed this chapter! Reviews would be so greatly appreciated! You know how much they help me write!


	6. Calm Before The Storm

_Disclaimer:_ See chapter One!

_A/N:_ Hello! Thank you, as usual, for the reviews! We're up to almost 5 per chapter! Keep up the good reviewing! Haha. I'm really glad that you are enjoying this story and it's plot. If you have any ideas concerning plot or anything having to do with the story, please send it to camdengirlfanfic (at) aol . com. I have to separate all that or it will erase it haha. Have the subject line as "BTH story comment" please. Thanks. Enjoy and review!

* * *

**March 3**

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 6: Calm Before the Storm

Sarah shifted uncomfortably in her seat on the plane. The pilot had just come over the intercom, saying that they would be landing in 15 minutes. 15 minutes! She couldn't decide if she was more excited or more nervous: excited to see her sister-in-law; nervous about why Faith wanted her to fly all the way out to Dallas. She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back into the soft seat. She shut her eyes, envisioning how things were at home right now...

It was Saturday, so Michelle was no doubt out with her friends. Chris was at work down at the video game store at the mall. Emily was down for her afternoon nap and Matt was enjoying the silence, probably in his office working on some papers from the hospital. She smiled to herself. That was Saturday all right. Always the same...always perfect. Now that it was the 3rd, Sarah counted out that Faith and Sam's baby was due in around 2 months and 19 days. A small smile formed on her lips as she remembered what it was like preparing for Michelle and Chris...those last few months were so fun, getting their nursery ready, buying them clothes, and having a baby shower. And once they came, though an incredible amount of work, she and Matt had managed. Watching their beautiful young babies grow into children, then into teens, and now practically adults had been the most amazing experience of her life, and she knew that it would be the same for Faith.

She was deep in thought for the next few minutes. So deep, in fact, that she didn't hear the pilot announce that they were about to land. She didn't even notice until she felt the wheels of the plane hit the ground and suddenly her ride began to get rough as the pilot dragged the brakes and brought the plane to a stop in front of the gate. She waited a few minutes before grabbing her suitcase out of the over-head compartment. With a deep breath, she turned and walked off of the plane.

Since September 11, people weren't allowed up to the gates, and as Sarah entered the terminal, things were eerily quiet. No friends jumping up and down, no lost lovers reuniting once again...nothing. She sighed and made her way toward the security gate. When she got through, she saw Faith standing there with her hand over her stomach. As soon as the women made eye contact, both broke out into smiles. Sarah raced over and wrapped her arms around Faith. After a moment, she backed up and looked her over, taking in the changes in her sister-in-law. She looked, for the most part, like she had when Sarah had seen her last: 5 foot 6, medium blonde hair, gorgeous green eyes, and a shining smile. There was a difference though, and that's what excited Sarah the most. Where Faith used to have a perfectly flat stomach and womanly hip figure was now a well-developing bump. She had filled out everywhere: her face, torso, legs, like all pregnant women do. Sarah giggled like her 4-year-old and put her hands on Faith's stomach.

"Faith!" She said, finally. "Look at this!" Faith laughed and put her hands over her growing stomach as well. She smiled.

"I know! Isn't it fun?" She asked. Sarah nodded, remembering once again what it had been like, only, of course, at 7 months, she had been much bigger, carrying two babies instead of one. Faith reached out to take Sarah suitcase, but Sarah pulled it away from her.

"Uh-uh. I don't think so!" She said with a laugh. "All you need to do is lead the way to the car." Faith did as she was told, and soon they arrived at Faith's deep red, regularly sized car. Sarah put her suitcase in the back seat and got in the passenger side. The women chatted for a few minutes more before Faith started up the car and backed out of the parking lot.

The drive home was a moderate one of 30 minutes. When they finally pulled up to the Camden home, Sarah noticed that Faith was looking pale. As soon as they parked, Faith said quickly to grab her bag and come in, then took off into the house. Sarah frowned, wondering what was wrong, then got out of her seat and got her suitcase out of the back. She shut the car doors and pulled the bag inside. Just as she was nearing the door, Faith was coming back out, looking disheveled.

"Honey, what's wrong?" She asked her, letting go of her bag and putting her hand on Faith's shoulder. Faith waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Oh nothing, don't worry. I'm just still having a bit of morning sickness every once and awhile. Driving for too long tends to set it off." She explained, "but I'm feeling better now. Don't worry." Sarah frowned.

"Faith, you should have told me! I could have rented a car and come out here myself, or Sam could have picked me up or something!" Sarah told her, half scoldingly. Faith held her stomach and smiled, shaking her head.

"No, it's more important for me to be there! A little morning...well...afternoon sickness is fine with me. It was so much worse during my first few months, but about half way though my fifth month it started to taper off. Now I only get it if I drive too much, or if I read for too long, strangely enough...things like that." She explained. "Anyway, come on in! I'll give you the grand tour." Sarah followed Faith inside the one-story home. The walls were a soft yellow color in the living room, to the left of the front door. There was a sofa and love seat facing the window. It was beautiful. Faith then led her into the main part of the home. It was simple. In front of them was the family room: 2 sofas, a recliner and a television. Connected by a wall with a pass through was the kitchen. Inside the kitchen, by the window, was a black rectangular table with 4 chairs. Sarah smiled, looking around. It reminded her of the first home that she and Matt had lived in: perfectly sized for the two of them, plus good, low payments. They had loved that house. Once the twins had been born, they realized that they wouldn't have enough room, and moved to the two-story home that they still lived in today. She looked around. They could make it fine here with the baby that was coming, although if they had another, she suspected that they would want to move just like Sarah and Matt had.

Faith then led Sarah down the hall in between the entryway and the family room.

"The first door on the left is a storage closet, the second is a bathroom. Straight ahead is Sam's and my bedroom. The second door on the right will be the baby's room." She said, putting her hand again over her stomach without thought, "and then here, the _first_ on the right, is the guest room." Faith opened the door to reveal a beautiful room. There was a four-post bed on the wall opposite the door, underneath a wide window with light purple sheets that were tied back, letting in the afternoon sunshine. A wooden desk with a phone and rolling chair was in the corner with a lamp over it. The walls were painted a light purple, matching the curtains and the small flowers on the white bedspread.

"This is where you can sleep...I hope that it's all right. You can unpack you clothing and stuff in the closet on the left of the bed. I'll give you some time to settle in, unpack, call home, the works. I'm going to go start some dinner. Is spaghetti OK for you?" Sarah laughed.

"Of course, it's great. This is all great. Thank you, Faith." She stepped forward and hugged her. Faith just smiled.

"Thank _you_ for coming all the way out here! I'm so happy to have you here." She said sweetly. They hugged once more before Faith turned and started out of the room.

Once she was gone, Sarah turned around and faced her suitcase. She got down on her knees and began to get the cloths out and hang them up in the closet. After she was done, she stored her case in the closet as well and went over to the desk, picking up the phone and dialing her home number. She was just finishing up her call when there was a faint knock at her door. She called to come in and Sam entered the room with a smile.

"Sam!" Sarah said excitedly. They hugged for a moment, then Sarah looked him up and down a few times. "Wow. Little Sam is going to be a father soon!" She said, as if realizing it for the first time. Sam laughed.

"Little?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've known you since you were what...5? You'll always be little Sam. _But_ you have grown up a lot lately." She said, jokingly pinching his cheek. Sam was about to speak when Faith began to call...first quietly, then more urgently. Sam and Sarah ran out to the kitchen where Faith was leaning over with one hand on the table behind her and one on her stomach. Her skin was white as paper. Sam ran over to her and put his arms around her.

"Faith, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly. Faith mumbled something inaudible. "What? Faith, what's going on?"

"I-" She began, then suddenly began to fall. Sarah screamed and rushed forward to help Sam catch her. When they did so, they saw that her eyes were shut.

"Sam, call 9-1-1, get an ambulance out her _now_." She said urgently. "I'm going to check her vitals." With out a word, Sam ran to the phone and Sarah heard him speaking to the operator. She looked down at Faith, limply draped across her lap. She laid her on the ground and put her fingers onto her upper neck. Good: a pulse. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief as she counted the heart rate and continued trying to wake Faith up. Sam rushed back a moment later and dropped to his knees next to his wife.

"Faith! Come on, Faith, wake up, honey." He said loudly, touching her face and arms. He turned to Sarah. "They're on their way."

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_A/N:_ Bum bum bummmm. LoL. Please review! Chapter 7 will be up soon.


	7. Questions

_See chapter one for disclaimer._

_A/N:_ Thanks for the reviews! I love getting them soo much-haha! See, I haven't left you hanging too terribly long about Faith! Enjoy and review!

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**March 3, 6:30 PM**

In The Days Ahead

Chapter 7: Questions

Sarah and Sam sat in the waiting room of Dallas County Hospital nervously. A motionless Faith had been wheeled through the heavy red doors that lay ahead of them nearly an hour and a half ago, and since then, news hadn't come back through. Sam held his head in his hands, seeming to be in shock, while Sarah circulated the same questions over and over in her head..._what's the matter with Faith? Is she OK? Is the baby OK? What's happening?_

When, 45 minutes later, those red doors did open and an African American doctor, looking to be in about his mid forties, stepped out, neither Sam nor Sarah noticed him until he was standing right in front of them

"Samuel Camden?" He asked. Sam looked up with a start as did Sarah. The doctor put out his hand and Sam shook it. "I'm Doctor Keith Alveraz." He said.

"Faith...is Faith all right?" He asked urgently. Dr. Alveraz gave him a sympathetic look that deepened the fear in the hearts of Sarah and Sam.

"We're still trying to determine the full effects, but it seems that your wife is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. This type of Anemia is fairly common in high-risk pregnancies like the one your wife is having. Our concern, however, is how strongly she is being hit with the symptoms. Why don't you come back into my office and I'll tell you a bit more about this type of Anemia." Sarah and Sam followed him into a small white office where they took a seat opposite him.

"During pregnancy, the fetus uses the mother's red blood cells for growth and development, particularly in the last three months. Women who do not have adequate iron stores can develop iron deficiency anemia. It is the lack of iron in the blood, which is necessary to make hemoglobin - the part of blood that distributes oxygen from the lungs to tissues in the body. Now, Faith is suffering from many of the symptoms, including pale skin, lips, nails, and palms of hands, fatigue, dizziness, and a rapid heartbeat. According to the report that was filled out by the EMTs in the ambulance with you, Faith had been complaining of fatigue for the last few weeks, and you, ma'am, noticed that she looked pale. She seemed fine until she called you, complaining of dizziness, then passed out. Is this accurate?" They nodded silently and the doctor continued. "Faith was unconscious for almost an hour, which is nearly unheard of for such a disorder. We took some blood tests and found that her iron levels are indeed dangerously low. We would like to keep her here at least over night to monitor her. She's being given an iron supplement, but tests are still being done to determine any possible damage to she or the fetus." Sam seemed to take it all in before finally speaking.

"Can I see her?" He asked seriously. The doctor nodded. "Yes, but not for very long. She's extremely weak and tired right now, and I fear that too much excitement could start everything up again." Sam nodded. The doctor stood and led them down the hall to Faith's room. Before they went in, Sarah stopped.

"I'll give you some time with her...I'll be out here." She said, taking a seat in a chair opposite the door.

"Thanks." Sam said, smiling at her. With a deep breath, he entered his wife's room. The sight before him made him nauseated. Faith laid in a hospital bed with all kinds of monitors set up around her. There was a loud, rhythmic beep signaling her heartbeat. Sam walked over to her bed and she opened her eyes. As soon as she saw him, she stretched out her arms and he leaned down and carefully hugged her. He sat down on the edge of the bed. And she looked up at him with a worried expression.

"Sam, don't worry about me. I'm not worried, and I don't want you to be worried either. All I want to know is if the baby's all right." She said seriously. "I've been through this too many times...waking up in a hospital...you come in and sit down with me...the next thing that happens is that I find out that it's not looking good for the baby, or that I miscarried...just tell me...is the baby OK?"

"They're still doing tests." He told her. Faith's eyes filled with tears but Sam brushed them away. "It's going to be OK, remember? No matter what happens, it's what was meant to happen." Faith nodded. Sam kissed her on the forehead and stood up as he noticed her eyelids starting to droop. "Get some sleep." He told her with a small smile. "I love you" he told her.

"I love you too." She whispered, shutting her eyes. Sam walked quietly out of the room to relay what had happened to Sarah. After he was gone, Faith, put her hand over her stomach and sang quietly to herself the end of the song which she had been singing so frequently lately... "Please don't take my sunshine away..."

* * *

"**_Daddy!!_**" A bloodcurdling scream tore through the Camden household. Matt jumped up from his desk in his office and ran to where he heard Emily's cry come from. When he ran into the entryway, he saw Chris dangling the terrified four-year-old over the banister.

"Christopher Matthew Camden! Put your sister down safely, _now_" He commanded. Emily screamed again as Chris lifted her back over the banister. As soon as he let go of her on the ground, she burst into sobs and ran down the stairs into her father's arms. He lifted her up and turned back and forth slowly, trying to calm her. "What in Heaven's name do you think you were doing?" Matt cried.

"She would _not_ leave me alone, and Michelle's not here to have her go bother! She wouldn't quit running around my room and jumping on my bed and I told her if she didn't stop I'd throw her over! I wasn't really going to, but I wanted to make her _think_ I would." He said, thinking he sounded fully logical.

"So you put your sisters life in danger just to keep her from _jumping on you bed_?!" He asked angrily. "You're almost 18, Chris! You should be acting like an adult, not a 5 year old with a temper tantrum! If you _ever_, and I mean _ever_ do that again, I _swear_, Chris!" He said. Chris' expression softened, as he seemed to realize the stupidity of what he had done.

"OK...sorry." He leaned over and looked at his little sister who had finished crying and was now just sniffling. Her eyes widened when she saw him but then she seemed to calm down. "Sorry Em." He told her.

"OK." She said quietly. She began to wriggle to get down and Matt sat her down on the floor. She ran up the stairs to Chris. "_Now_ can I jump on your bed?" She asked hopefully. Chris laughed.

"Fine. But only for five minutes. Then you're out of my room so I can work. Understood?" He asked.

"Yes." She said. "Yay!" She cried and ran for Chris' room. He followed her and Matt could hear Emily laughing all the way from downstairs. He turned and started back to his office, laughing all the way.

How easily children really did bounce back...

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_A/N:_ I hope that you liked! Please review...new chapter will be up soon!


	8. Getting Ready

_See Chapter one for disclaimer..._  
  
_A/N_: Hey! As usual, thanks for the reviews! They're so appreciated. I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to be put up. I've had the hardest time writing it for some reason! I swear I have ADD sometimes when it comes to getting myself to sit and write. Haha. I hope that you are still enjoying this story...review when you're done!

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**April 2**  
  
Beyond The Horizon  
  
Chapter 8: Getting Ready  
  
Faith sat up in she and Sam's bed and looked at the clock: 9:12 AM. She sighed and stretched her arms way up above her head: it was about time to get up. Since she had gotten out of the hospital on March 5th, things had been pretty lazy. She had doctor's orders to be in bed or off her feet for a large amount of the day, so she had spent the majority of her time sleeping and watching television. Because her doctor had told her to take her maternity leave from work, she had been writing-free for a few weeks now and it felt great. Without the deadlines hanging over her head, she felt so free and relaxed. She moaned as she stood up and her ankles seemed to scream out in agony. They were so swollen and sore that it hurt to stand and walk around. She put her hands over her large stomach. Her due date was approaching quickly: only one month and 20 days to go. She moved slowly into the family room and flopped down onto the sofa, turning on the morning news. When a wave of nausea came over her, she sighed. Of course: she had to take her pill. For her anemia, she had to take an iron supplement pill twice a day: one in the morning and one at night. She had been so exhausted last night that she had completely forgotten, and she would be paying for it this morning.  
  
As she stood, morning sickness and anemia related nausea came over her and she ran for the bathroom, barely making it before she threw up. As if to add insult to injury, the baby gave a hard kick. Faith frowned and held her stomach. She walked into the kitchen and made herself a piece of toast. After eating it slowly, she took her morning pill, which would hopefully settle her stomach. The house was strangely quiet as she made her way back to the sofa. Now that Sam had gone back to work after taking off some time for her in the hospital, and Sarah had flown home on the 8th, things seemed...different...boring. She wished so much at times like this that she and Sam lived back in Glen Oak by the rest of the family. Their closest family member, David, lived over in Houston, and they rarely even got to see him.

She let out a sigh of relief as slowly but surely her nausea went away. She looked down at her basketball of a stomach and sighed to herself...this was really going to happen: she was really going to have a baby. She moved her hand back and forth over her stomach a few times, and laughed when the baby kicked, seeming to greet her back. She stood up and made her way into the baby's nursery. From the time that she had arrived home from the hospital, she and Sam had been working on getting the nursery, and it was about ready now. The walls were painted a pastel shade of yellow. A denim rocking chair sat in the corner near the window. There was a changing table up against the wall. She smiled as she neared the crib. With checkered yellow sheets to match the walls and some stuffed animals inside, awaiting the arrival of the baby, it was looking marvelous. She smoothed the sheets carefully then placed her hands back on her stomach. In just a few weeks, she'd be standing in this same spot looking into the crib and seeing a tiny baby...she and Sam's child.

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**April 6**

Kate smiled as she hung up the phone. Everything was set for the wedding! She looked at her calendar: April 6. Exactly two months from today, on June 6th, she'd be walking down the isle. She couldn't believe that it had already been so long since they got engaged...January 8th was 3 months ago, and it seemed like an eternity. She and David had decided on a short engagement by normal terms today...only 5 months. She was anticipating the big day more and more as it got closer. She and her sister had already gone out a few weeks ago and chosen her wedding dress, a beautiful floor length satin white dress with thin spaghetti straps and discreet beading over the entire thing. It was a beautiful dress on it's own, but when Kate wore it, it was absolutely stunning.

She was so excited to finally call David 'her husband' that she could hardly stand it. From what he told her, he had already rented his tuxedo, though she hadn't seen it. She say down at the table and opened up the black 'wedding binder', flipping to the "guests" section. There she had printed out a list of everyone invited with two boxes next to each name; one labeled 'NO' and one labeled 'YES'. She scanned down the list and smiled, noticing that most of family could come. Eric and Annie could make it, as could her parents. All of David's brothers and sisters plus their spouses could make it, which was really nice. She checked down the list to double check that her sister and brother would be able to come with their husband and wife as well, and she saw that they would be there. The rest was sprinkled with yes' and no's when it came to friends and other relatives, but luckily, the majority of those invited would be there.

As a couple, she and David had decided that only David's nieces and nephews ages 13 or over would be able to attend their wedding. The only exception that they would be making was for, God willing, Sam and Faith's new baby, who would only be around a month old at the time of the nuptials.

She continued to flip around in the binder and look at all the beautiful things that she'd get to see in 3-dimensions in just a few months. She spent the next hour flipping happily through the plastic covered pages off in her own little world; and she was happy there.

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_A/N_: I know this was really short and I'm sorry! This chapter was so boring for me as I'm sure it was for many of you. Don't worry though, things will be picking up when you hit the "Next Chapter" button. Just had to do a little bit of setting up. But hey, while we're on the button subject, why don't you click the one that says 'go' right next to "submit review"...


	9. A Friend Arrives

_See chapter one for disclaimer_

_A/N_: I'm so sorry for the long time in between chapters! Because of health reasons, I need to stop this story and take a bit of a hiatus, so this will be the last chapter. I'm sorry for inconvenience. I'll send out an e-mail to be e-mail group when I do have a new story up. Thanks for reading!

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**May 18**

Beyond The Horizon

Chapter 9: A friend arrives

Claire Kinkirk flitted down the stairs, seemingly walking on air. She walked into the kitchen where there were chocolate chip pancakes laid out on a plate. A piece of paper laid on the table next to it with a picture of a cake and "Happy 16th Birthday Claire" scrawled across the top in large pink letters. She smiled and bit into her pancakes: still warm. She looked around the silent kitchen. Her mother and father were both at work, while her brother and sister were still asleep. It was, after all, only 6:30, and she was the only one that had to leave at 7:00. Sometimes she wished that she was still in middle or elementary school, being able to sleep in as late as her brother and sister still could. She took the last bite of her birthday pancake and started for her room where she grabbed her backpack and started out the door for her bus stop.

When she got there, she was met by her friends who had balloons and gifts for her. With smiles, they got on the bus, and for the first time in awhile, she was actually looking forward to school.

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Faith put both of her hands on her gigantic stomach as the baby kicked endlessly. Due in only four days, she looked set to pop. She frowned. When the baby first started kicking, back at about 5 or 6 months into this, she found it fun, but now, it was just plain annoying. Her baby had some pretty serious leg muscles that he or she wanted to show off before the birth and Faith didn't find in amusing at all. Sam on the other hand loved to watch her stomach bounce from side to side as their child kicked. Faith said it was only because he couldn't feel it that he enjoyed it and he agreed that she was probably right. She stood up and stretched her arms above her head, and as she did so, felt liquid streaming down her legs. She squealed out of surprise and looked down.

"Sam!" She cried.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking up.

"My...my..."

"What?" He asked impatiently, standing.

"My water just broke!" He seemed to stand in shock for a moment before he ran for her bag as she felt her first contraction. He was back in less than two minutes.

"Get in the car: we're going to the hospital."

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The next 15 hours were the longest that Faith felt that she had ever endured. Up until the 9th hour, she was without painkillers, and was _not_ a pleasant person to be around. After she received her epideural, she seemed to calm down a bit and began to act normally again. Her last hour of labor came quickly and soon the doctor was there and ready to deliver the new baby.

After almost 30 exhausting minutes, a baby's cry was heard, filling the room, and Faith let out a relieved sigh: it was over. She and Sam waited in suspense for news of the gender. Finally, the doctor cried out:

"Congratulations! You have a son." Faith smiled brightly and looked at her husband. They were parents. The baby cried loudly as he was weighed and wrapped up. After a few minutes, a nurse approached holding a small blue bundle.

"Here's you son. What's his name?" She asked, handing him to his mother.

"Benjamin Samuel Camden." She answered with tears in her eyes. Sam leaned forward and stroked the baby's face.

"Hi Ben!" He said quietly. "I'm your dad."

"Want to hold him?" Faith asked. Sam nodded and reached out, taking the small warm baby into his arms.

"Hi." He said again, kissing his son's forehead. "We're going to have so much fun together..."

The End

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_A/N_: Hope that you enjoyed Beyond the Horizon! Please review, and stay tuned for an epilogue.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue:

2 years have passed...

_Sarah/Matt:_ Chris and Michelle are 19 years old, and away at college. Emily is 6 and greatly enjoying the 1st grade. Sarah and Matt are not planning on having any more children, and are having fun with only one child in the house, despite the silence.

_Mary/Carlos:_ Carlos still works as a Fire Fighter in Buffalo New York. Mary, however, has taken off some time to raise their new born son, who was born just 6 days ago, Immanuel Carlos. Although sleepless nights and long days are new to the couple, they are enjoying parenthood thus far and are up to the challenge.

_Lucy/Kevin_: Claire is now 18 and away at college, Noah is 15 and Brooke is 13, soon to be 14. Kevin is still a police man and Lucy a minister.

_Simon/Aimee:_ Talie is 14 and a freshman in high school. Simon is still a lawyer and Aimee an accountant.

_Ruthie/ Peter_: The Petrowskis are still childless and are teaching at Silver Scale Middle School. They are discussing whether or not to have a baby, changing their minds daily.

_Sam/Faith_: Ben is 2. 13 months ago, Faith gave birth to their second child, Caroline, who is now 1 and loves chasing after her older brother. They are pleased with the mere one year difference in the age of their children, and are soon going to start trying for their third.

_David/Kate_: David and Kate have been married for 2 years. They recently found out that they are expecting a baby. Though it was not in the plans, they are ecstatic and are waiting for their new addition, due in 5 months.


End file.
